ACADEMIA 2015 / 2016
Educators: Marjan Colletti | Marc Ihle | Thomas Feuerstein | exparch.at | © Universität Innsbruck
Students: Diederich Tom | Mura Elisa | Mussner Romed | Scheikl Marcel | Unterhofer Markus | Kofler Hannes | Molina Gil Sonia Erica | Jonas Pedrotti | Marmsoler Fabian | Mellin Christopher | Melchiori Luca | Aschberger Anna Maria | Camini Sandra | Gianmoena Stefano
Brief | Topic I
Winters
Temperatures are globally rising up to extreme levels. Consequently, meteorological and atmospheric changes such as condensation, solar radiation, wind flows etc. instigate drastic fluctuations in temperature and precipitations also on all areas and heights of the Alps. With this general tendency of disappearing coldness, not only the glaciers can be observed to retreat tourism, possibly, too.
(Natural and artificial) snow is, and has been, the paramount environmental phenomenon to secure tourism. Winter sports, skiing being the most traditional, are the main economic pillars of most Tyrolean villages. A manifold and differentiated field of amateur, sportive and professional athleticism and entertainment, skiing reaching from classic alpine ski, to alpine touring, backcountry-skiing, park-skiing, heli-skiing etc. appropriates every possible facet and characteristic of a mountain: from snow production and management, all-terrain accessibility, increased transport capacities, hi-tech buildings and infrastructures provide an essential factor to the wealth and growth of many locally based companies and communities. With receding snow lines we can expect an increased disrupted and total desynchronised industrialization of the Alps. However, such infrastructures are very likely to stand in contrast with current and future sustainable ideas of protecting and preserving the alpine territory and environment (increasing the amount of renewable energy, reducing traffic; increasing the air quality etc.).
In the future, to succeed not just in economical and technological terms, but most importantly also in environment, societal and cultural terms, all small-scale projects and large-scale interventions will demand visionary and integrated, even extreme, solutions. The studio will explore partly architectural (roads, buildings, infrastructures, villages, towns, cities) and partly geological (remodelled and reprogrammed landscapes) formations in order to renegotiate the alpine territory towards future trajectories and investigate how new forms and fronts of winter tourism might be part of a greater solution.
Alpine touristic infrastructures in contrast
Student Projects:
Student: Stefano Gianmoena
Landscape and Architecture Modells I
Fieldtrip to Alpbach
Brief | Topic II
Summers
As we were looking the last term at scenarios of climate change and the disappearance of „the cold“ and snow in winters, the question rises how will alpine regions than look in summer? Sub-tropical valleys? Rising Temperatures and new upcoming technological developments and possibilities, should be seen as a potential, and chance for the project development.
The still globally ongoing tendency of centralisation of e.g. Production, Energy- and resource-mining etc. has lead to mono-cultures, repetitively, unification and concentration. These phenomena of Centralisation not seldom reach critical mass/state, and start to describe an independent image of Landscape, detached and desynchronized from the original appearance and functionality of its Territory it emerged from.
This centralisation of production in specific regions throughout the planet further leads to waste lands and vacuum in other regions, with tremendous socio-economic consequences. These unproductive territories tend to get more and more dependent and distant to these centers of production. As a further consequence they are trigger for environmental pollution through increase in Transport; a well-known Discussion in Tyrol.
To not just treat the Symptoms of these global trends, but to propose fundamental changes at the roots where these problems start, Alpbachtal should be seen as a prototype of a vision where production and consumption happen at the same place. Creating a decentralized, diversified productive self-sustainable new alpine landscape. „New alpine Gardens“ and technological development as well as the naturally rising temperatures could even bring Bananas, which for instance are very hard to image disappear from the fruit-shelf of our supermarkets; in a much more local, and as such also ecological distance to the consumer. Creating a bigger solution and better eco-balance, by considering the entire chain of production and consumption. References such as Plantations in Almeria and other climate regions will be considered to implement along with new technological possibilities in a new visionary alpine landscape. The enhancement of the existing and the development of new structures and forms to ensure a sustainable surface for the future in both formal and functional ways will be central aspects of the discourse. The use of GIS and the reading and extrapolating of key characteristics of alpine formation and atmospheric processes will be fundamental parameters of both, analysis and design proposal.
Student Projects:
:
Landscape and Architecture Modells II
Exhibition
Abstracts to download:
Abstract Alpine Studio – Winter
Abstract Alpine Studio – Summer
Supported by:
Studio Organisation:
Marc Ihle
Universität Innsbruck